New pumping station boosts Highland Avenue

Friday

May 25, 2007 at 12:01 AMMay 25, 2007 at 4:19 PM

For years, there was nowhere to pump gas on Highland Avenue between Jackson Street and the Lynn border. That all changed this month with the opening of the new Irving Gas Station and its Bluecanoe convenience store.

Lisa Guerriero/salem@cnc.com

The gas station was constructed at 232 Highland Ave., at the corner of Swampscott Road, an area that had been vacant and was falling into disrepair after the Moose Lodge moved out about two years ago.

“I think it’s enhancing the neighborhood,” said Jean Pelletier, the Ward 3 city councilor who helped establish the gas station along with Ward 4 councilor Leonard “Lenny” O’Leary.

Pelletier and O’Leary are both Moose members who were happy when the club found a new home on Grove Street for its social and humanitarian programs, at the new Moose Family Center. But the volunteer- and donation-driven club couldn’t afford to maintain the site, said Pelletier, and it began to decline.

“I mean no disrespect to the Moose for the blight of the area, but obviously they didn’t have the money for it,” said Pelletier. “Obviously it was a lot of money for them to do that [maintain the site].”

Pelletier and O’Leary facilitated the deal for the $1.2 million development site, which is also home to a newly-opened branch of the North Shore Bank, with a drive-through ATM and banking facility. The 12-pump Irving station’s Bluecanoe store includes Subway restaurant.

While the gas station is in Pelletier’s ward, he said O’Leary — whose ward is equally affected by traffic in the area — was a big help in the lengthy negotiations with Irving. They wanted to make sure the Moose’s interests were protected, as well as residents who live in and drive through the Highland Avenue and Swampscott Road area.

O’Leary helped conceive of and arrange to create a third, turning lane that made the project possible and alleviated some of the traffic issues, Pelletier said. O’Leary is a veteran councilor who will retire this year after 24 years on the council, and has tackled numerous development and traffic issues over the years.

The Ward 3 councilor offered his thanks to O’Leary by pumping the first tank of gas for his colleague at the official opening of the gas station on May 10.